‘Jumanji 4’ First Look Finally Revealed as Fate of Action-Adventure Franchise Is Confirmed
Jumanji 4 (or Jumanji 3 in the current reboot franchise) is officially in production, following years of setbacks and delays to get the next installment off the ground. Dwayne Johnson gave fans renewed hope when he provided a definitive update on what was happening with the film, but he has now shared some behind-the-scenes photos and videos to commemorate the project moving forward. He also revealed the fate of the multi-billion-dollar film series, while offering a first look at the cast reuniting for the follow-up to 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level – which, in turn, served as confirmation as to who is returning for the next adventure.
Johnson, who plays Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone in the blockbuster films, shared an Instagram post to announce that production is now underway on Jumanji 4. The carousel of photos and videos (shared below) reveal the cast at a table read in Los Angeles, confirming the return of Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan in their respective roles as Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon, Franklin “Mouse” Finbar, and Ruby Roundhouse. The actors appear to be in good spirits, with Johnson noting in the caption of the post that their “jaws were hurting from laughing so hard” during the first run-through of the script, which was penned by returning director Jake Kasdan, together with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. He said in the caption:
“Officially kicking off production of Jumanji, at our cast table read in Los Angeles – where we will film as well. What a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure. Feels emotionally appropriate for our beloved Jumanji franchise to end on this beautiful grace note of our final film. Amazing to get the whole gang back together, and our jaws were hurting from laughing so hard. We all talked about how much we’ve missed this kinda joy and fun. Let’s make a good one.”
As a footnote, Johnson added that the final photo of the batch holds great significance. The image shows a braided necklace with a single dice as its centerpiece – he confirmed that the dice is the original one used in the classic 1995 film as a way to pay “homage, love and respect to the great Robin Williams.” The actor asserted that his character, Bravestone, will be wearing the necklace in Jumanji 4 as an Easter egg for the beloved fantasy feature that kick-started the action-adventure franchise, which is now in its 30th year.
‘Jumanji 4’ Will Be Game Over
Johnson confirmed that Jumanji 4 will be the “final film” of the reboot franchise, promising “a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure” to round off the new trilogy, which began with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle back in 2017. The success of that film prompted the immediate development of a sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, which arrived in theaters in 2019 and pushed the box office haul of the franchise’s most recent additions over $2 billion worldwide, making a third film inevitable. However, production was stalled for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, cast scheduling conflicts, and the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023.
The bout of delays cast significant doubt on whether the fourth film would ever actually happen, but it seems that everything has now aligned for the franchise to usher in its concluding chapter. Jumanji 4 secured a 2026 release date at the backend of last year, with Johnson confirming in his post that the final film will hit theaters in time for Christmas next year. The forthcoming entry is expected to continue the story from its predecessor, with the main cast once again getting sucked into the magical world of Jumanji – now a video game – where they must team up to complete a quest while navigating various threats and hazards. The final level could be the most dangerous one yet for the heroes, as we now know that it is officially game over for the franchise.
Release Date
December 10, 2026
Director
Jake Kasdan
Writers
Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Chris Van Allsburg
